This invention relates to the transportation of bicycles, motorcycles, and other cargo which is loaded into the bed of a pickup truck or the like, and in particular, to a carrier which is removably installed in the truck bed for conveniently and safely transporting this type of cargo.
Many people enjoy taking their bicycles or motorcycles to remote areas some distance from their homes. There they can ride them over trails or roads not otherwise available to them. Often these vehicles are transported to the riding area in the back of a pickup truck. To prevent damaging bicycles in transit, the bike must be lashed down or otherwise secured so as the pickup truck goes to and from the riding area especially on rough or unpaved roads, the bicycle is not damaged. Frequently, more than one bicycle is transported in the truck and each bike must be secured so that they are not damaged by the ride and do not damage the other vehicle or the pickup.
In addition to recreational transport, there is the commercial transport of many other objects in pickup trucks. These objects can be large, expensive, bulky items that also need to be securely stored in the back of the pickup truck for safe transport. Numerous problems arise in this regard. One is the ease and convenience with which these items can be loaded onto the truck, safely stored; and readily off-loaded at their destination. Another problem is that objects of one size and shape may be transported from one place to another, but then objects of different sizes and shapes need to be moved from the first destination to a second. A third problem is that the sizes and shapes of truck beds vary from one model pickup to another. This may make it difficult to easily on-load and safely store bicycles or the other objects.
The present invention is directed to a cargo carrier for the safe and convenient transport of bicycles and other objects. Others have tried to provide a cargo carrier or truck bed rack to address this problem. See, for example, US Patent Office publication number US/2002/0092881 A1. However, the present invention has advantages over these other approaches. In addition, various types of ropes or other tie downs are currently available, but all do not provide the level of safety provided by the present invention.